Maps and Atlases Collection
Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. See maps and atlases depicting the changing landscape of Seattle and other areas in the Pacific Northwest. Take a look at our historic map resources page to browse maps by location.
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Milton Katims Interview, May 10, 1986
Milton Katims (1909-2006) was a skilled violist and conductor, leading the Seattle Symphony for over two decades. Katims was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended Columbia University. He taught viola classes at schools such as Julliard, Northwestern University, and the University of Washington. He married his wife, Virginia Peterson, in 1940. In 1943, Katims joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra, a radio orchestra that performed weekly broadcasts, and served as the assistant conductor. He also composed his own music and played with ensembles including the Budapest String Quartet and the New York Piano Quartet. Katims conducted symphonies internationally in locales such as Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia and London. He was the conductor of the Seattle Symphony from 1954 to 1976, helping the symphony to grow in prominence. He played a critical role in garnering support to convert the city’s Civic Auditorium to the Opera House, which was shared by the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Following his time in Seattle, Katims moved to Houston where he worked as the Artistic Director for the University of Houston School of Music for eight years. Following his retirement, he returned to Seattle.
Identifier: spl_ds_mkatims_01
Date: 1986-05-10
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University Way NE and NE 45th St., ca. 1990s
Photograph shows the southwest corner of University Way NE, colloquially know as The Ave, and 45th St., with view of Safeco Tower building, later UW Tower after its purchase by the University of Washington in 2006.
Identifier: spl_dor_00049
Date: 1995?
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Municipal Plans Commission of the City of Seattle map showing Lake Washington-Renton-Rainier Beach Waterfront District, 1911
Map showing proposed city improvements under the Plan of Seattle, commonly known as the Bogue Plan. Designed by Virgil Bogue, Seattle's municipal plans director, the Bogue Plan proposed a series of improvements aimed at beautifying the city and making it making it more cohesive after years of rapid growth and industrialization. The plan worked in tandem with the Olmsted Brothers new system of parks, begun in 1903, and proposed new government buildings, an improved city center and an interurban road connecting the city together. The plan was rejected by voters in 1912.
Identifier: spl_maps_2465533_18
Date: 1911
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Mary Todd Interview, May 15, 1987
Mary Allen Todd was born in Rockingham, North Carolina in January 1940. She was a teacher known for her love of Shakespeare.
Identifier: spl_ds_mtodd_01
Date: 1987-05-15
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Emilie Schwabacher Interview, July 9, 1987
Emilie Bloch Schwabacher (1903-2000) was an active member of Seattle’s charitable community and a member of one of Seattle’s early families. She was born in San Francisco and attended Mills College, earning a master of arts degree in education. She married Morton Leo Schwabacher (1902-1977) in 1931 and the couple had one daughter together. Emilie was dedicated to many social causes including the Settlement House which helped struggling families in Central Seattle. In 1948, she joined the board of Children's Orthopedic Hospital, where she remained for 25 years. Her husband, Morton, was the president of Schwabacher Hardware Company, a company that his grandfather and his grandfather’s brothers first opened in Seattle in 1869.
Identifier: spl_ds_eschwabacker_01
Date: 1987-07-09
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Map of the City of Seattle, Washington Territory, Showing Its Additions and the Walla Walla Rail Road, 1875
Map depicting land claims of many of Seattle's founders such as Denny, Bell and Yesler.
Identifier: spl_maps_2467399
Date: 1875
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Plat of West Seattle Land and Improvement Company's Platted Lands, 1890
Map showing land parcels in West Seattle.
Identifier: spl_maps_2449573
Date: 1890
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Industrial, Commercial, and Residential Map, 1926
Map depicting industrial, commercial and residential zones along with parks and cemetaries. Also marked are areas predominently populated by African Americans, Japanese, Chinese and Italians.
Identifier: spl_maps_2479649
Date: 1926
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Victor Steinbrueck Interview, 1984
Victor Steinbrueck (1911-1985) was a prominent Seattle architect, noted for his leadership in preserving public outdoor space and historic areas such as Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. Steinbrueck was born in Mandan, North Dakota and his family moved to Seattle in 1913. His father worked as a machinist and was active in local labor unions and his mother was a teacher. Steinbrueck graduated from the University of Washington with his bachelor's degree in architecture in 1935. During the 1930s, Steinbrueck worked for the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, creating artwork depicting federal projects and life in CCC camps. He later produced multiple books featuring sketches of Seattle scenes. Between 1935 and 1937, he began working with private Seattle architectural firms before starting his own practice in 1938. One of his first major jobs was helping to design the Yesler Terrace Housing Project. During World War II, Steinbrueck served in the Army before returning to Seattle in 1946 and joining the University of Washington architecture faculty. In 1950, Steinbrueck married his first wife, Elaine Worden and the couple eventually had four children together. After divorcing Elaine, he married his second wife, Marjorie Da Silva in 1964. Steinbrueck’s architectural designs ranged from creating private family residences to contributing to the design of the Space Needle for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. During the 1960s and 1970s, Steinbrueck led campaigns to help protect and preserve Seattle’s historic buildings which were being threatened by urban development plans. His leadership resulted in the creation of the Pioneer Square Historic District in 1970 and the Pike Place Market Historic District in 1971. Steinbrueck continually advocated for the importance of including thoughtful public spaces in Seattle’s urban landscape. He helped push for a public plaza to be included in the Westlake Center development and also helped to design several public parks including the area that now bears his name at Pike Place Market.
Identifier: spl_ds_vsteinbrueck_01; spl_ds_vsteinbrueck_02
Date: 1984-10-15; 1984-11-17; 1984-11-19
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Ted Schuchat Interview, February 29, 1988
Theodore L. Schuchat (1923-2014) was a journalist and speechwriter who worked for the federal government for over 30 years. Schuchat was born in Warrenton, West Virginia and grew up in Baltimore. He attended West Virginia University where he was President of his class. Schuchat’s education was interrupted due to World War II when he joined the Army and served as a radarman. After the war he worked for an advertising agency in New York before resuming his college career at the New School. After graduating from college, he moved back to Washington D.C. and began working for the federal government in 1950. There he worked for the Interior Department and also wrote speeches for political figures. He also worked as a freelance writer with a focus on topics such as health, welfare and retirement. He was the author of syndicated column for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Outside of work, Ted served as the first president of Temple Micah in Washington, D.C. Schuchat moved to Seattle in 2005.
Identifier: spl_ds_tshchuchat_01
Date: 1988-02-29
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